


take me out and take me home

by jenrenfics



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Jeno is a flirt, Jeno is a working dad, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Short & Sweet, jeno is a father, just fluffy and cute all throughout, renjun is a shy cutie, renjun is an art teacher
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21633046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenrenfics/pseuds/jenrenfics
Summary: jeno finds family with his son jewon and his son's art teacher renjun.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno
Comments: 4
Kudos: 175





	take me out and take me home

**Author's Note:**

> i was sleepy when i wrote the latter of this work so im sorry if it moves too fast... also another word vomit but i wanna write parent jeno and renjun in such a long time now and im happy i finally did! bad writing coming thru so pls be warned / not beta-ed, too!

Being a father is a job that most grown, twenty-something-year-old man dreads.

Jeno is one of them.

Six years ago, a baby was left on his doorstep. There was a letter attached on the baby's crib which read:

THIS IS YOUR SON, LEE JENO. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

A combination of confusion and anger began to bubble up inside him and he, at first, refused to believe that the baby shared his own blood. After all, how many times did he have unprotected sex? Once? Twice? But he made sure he was very careful during those times. So there was absolutely no  _ fucking  _ way that the baby was his.

As the CEO of a huge company, Jeno has no time to be a parent. Casual flings, sure. The last time he had been in a relationship was back in college. He believed that being in a committed relationship with someone would just hinder his success as a professional. No dates, no annoying girlfriends or boyfriends, no person to spend money besides himself and his family. Just a simple, but wealthy, life.

“I’m sorry, did you just say you have a baby?” Mark said over the phone, sounding oddly excited which he shouldn't be because it wasn't fun at all.

Jeno sighed. “Not mine until proven by the DNA results. I refuse to believe that this baby is mine. I've never been careless when it comes to my… nightly adventures.”

“Maybe you think you're very careful, but someone somehow got their way into your pants without you noticing. Ah, Lee Jeno, you always think you got everything under control.”

“You’re not really helping.”

“Look, Jeno, it's no big deal if you have a baby!”

“It is! How am I supposed to take care of him when I am busy? I don't wanna spend my time changing diapers and feeding him food every day. I have a company to look over and my company's the only baby I want to take care of.”

“Well, then. What if the DNA results prove that the child is yours?”

“I’ll hire a nanny.”

“As expected.”

And since the DNA results showed that he was the father of the baby left on his doorstep, he hired a nanny as soon as possible. The nanny was a fifty-something-year-old widow whose kids are already off doing great things in life and that she felt that even though she didn't have the capacity to have more children, she said she wanted to take care of young people.

“What is his name again, Mr. Lee?”

“Jewon.”

Jeno rarely saw his son. As Jewon grew up, he saw his nanny as more of a parent than Jeno himself. Jeno couldn't blame his son for thinking that way; how could he view Jeno as a father when he's busy with a lot of things at work that there was no quality time between the two of them. Jewon once asked whether Jeno was just their driver.

“I am your dad.”

Jewon cocked his head. “You are? Then why does nanny take me to school instead of you? You have a car, anyway.”

Well, that did hurt a little bit coming from his son.

Jeno has since then  _ tried  _ to be closer to Jewon. Greeting him before he went out to work and when he came back home, giving his son treats and toys to enjoy, asking him about what happened at school.

One time, Jewon talked about his art teacher. “He’s so cute, dad! He's very tiny for an adult, though. And he makes very good art! His paintings look so real. He also said my art looks great!”

“Really? That's good! Will you let daddy see your artworks?”

Jewon showed him a drawing of a cat with a dog, standing beside each other with a heart on top of them. He chuckled and told his son his drawing was cute. “But it's rare for a cat and a dog to be friends, Jewon.”

“The cat is my teacher. The dog is you!”

“Me?” he asks, touching his chest and feigning pain. “Why?”

“Because like a dog, you're big! But you're also handsome! And a dog is big and handsome!”

Jeno pinches his son's cheek. “And that's why you're also good-looking, Jewon. How about your teacher, then? Why is he a cat?”

“He's short and cute! And when he smiles, he looks like a cat smiling!”

“So… why did you draw a cat and a dog together while thinking about me and your teacher?”

Jewon giggled and it made Jeno slightly nervous about what he was about to say. “Teacher said he likes dogs a lot, so I thought of you!”

_ Ah… the joys of being a parent.  _ “Does he know about what's the meaning behind the cat and the dog?”

“Yes! He said he would like to meet you someday because you sound like a nice person. I told him you are but you're always busy with work so we don't get to play much.”

Jeno ruffled his son's hair and pressed a kiss on his head. “We will go to the arcades on Saturday. Sounds good?”

“Yay!” Jewon climbed on his father's lap and wrapped short his arms around Jeno's neck. “Thank you!”

Jeno realizes having Jewon was a blessing. His son kept him grounded. He made Jeno's evenings lighter after a whole day at work and dealing with so much stuff.

Being a father was… kinda amazing, after all.

On Thursday, he receives an email from Jewon’s school about a PTA meeting to be held the next day. Parents must attend because they will talk about their children's grades and performance inside the classroom, as well as giving them tips on how to improve their study habits and develop a stronger parent-child relationship. Jeno sees that his schedule for tomorrow is clear, save for a meeting in the afternoon, so he sends an email back confirming his attendance.

Jewon calls about a minute later to tell how excited he is that Jeno is finally attending the meeting instead of his nanny. He smiles at how Jewon can't stop talking about how he wants to show his classmates how awesome Jeno is because he owns one of the largest companies across the country.

“And I am also excited that you and my art teacher will finally meet!”

“You’re not setting me up, are you?”

“What? Setting up?”

Jeno shakes his head. “You’re too young to know, but whatever it is you're doing, just know that's it's called setting up.”

“Is that bad?”

“It’s completely harmless, Jewon. Don't worry.” Not really completely harmless, Jeno thinks. He's had more than a handful of badly set up dates to know that. But Jewon is too young to understand that yet.

\--

Friday comes and Jewon is bouncing in his seat, talking about how today will be the day he can finally show everyone his amazing dad. Apparently, Jewon always tells his classmates that Jeno is a rich man who owns a big company that's why he's always absent during parent-teacher meetings and other events that need the presence of any parent. 

“Besides, they always tease me that you don't love me that's why you don't show up.”

Jeno sighs, feeling guilty for his son's demise. “But you know that's not true, right? You know that daddy loves you very much?”

“Yes! And that's why I'm so happy you're here! I can finally prove to them that you love me even though you're so busy at work.”

After parking their car, Jeno climbs down first and opens the door for Jewon. His son cutely raises his arms, urging Jeno to carry him all the way inside the school. He hears some children ask Jewon who he is and he proudly answers with, “He’s my Dad!” 

When they arrive in front of the classroom, Jewon’s teacher is already waiting for him. The teacher is shorter than Jeno by a few inches, has blond hair, a dimple on his other cheek, and a slim and slender build.

Jewon waves goodbye and enters the classroom. “That’s my Dad!” Jeno heard Jewon yell from inside the room. His classmates all look at him awe as if they just saw a celebrity.

“Are you Mr. Lee?” 

Jeno turns his attention to the teacher. This is probably the one Jewon is talking about. “Yes. You must be the art teacher that Jewon is a big fan of.”

“Huang Renjun. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lee.” Renjun reaches out a hand for Jeno to accept, and Jeno does. He takes note of how soft the other man's hand is like he bathes his skin with a moisturiser or something. “It’s actually such an honour to meet one of the most successful businessmen in our country.”

“Pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Huang.”

They stay like that for a few seconds, hands not letting go, staring at each other's eyes. Renjun breaks contact first and tucks his hand inside the pocket of his sweater. 

“The other parents are in the next room. We must go,” Renjun says. “They’re also excited to meet you as it's your first time attending the monthly PTA meeting.”

The response from the parents after he enters the door is quite unexpected. Most of the women want to take pictures with him, claiming they see him on television especially on the news sometimes. Meanwhile, the men tell Jeno to teach them ways on how to start a business because they heard Jeno started from the bottom up.

“We are very honoured and grateful to finally meet Mr. Lee Jeno in person as we've seen him in countless magazines and interviews that it feels thrilling that one of our students in school is his son,” Renjun says and everyone agrees. “Now let's proceed to the vital part of this meeting. The evaluation of your child's performance inside the class.”

Renjun tells the general condition of the students. It's mostly good stuff, like how each and every one of their children tries to participate despite not knowing the answers to some questions. The bad stuff is about how some kids are noisy whenever the teacher is speaking in front—the usual, nothing new.

He then proceeds on giving out the report cards of each student to their respective parents. Most of them got high marks, but when Jeno saw his son’s and noticed the almost perfect grade on his Art class, he wanted to scream about how he has the best son in the world.

“Mr. Lee?” whispers Renjun as the parents exit the room one by one, excited to tell their sons how proud they are. “Can I have a minute with you, please?”

Jeno nods. “Sure.”

“Jewon is one of the best students I had throughout my entire teaching career. And I'm not saying this to appeal to you just because you're one of the richest CEOs in the country. I don't wanna appear like I'm kissing your ass or something… but Jewon has exceptional artistic skills that I want to develop and share to the world. I'm sure you've seen some of his artwork, right?”

“Yeah. His latest one was about a cat and a dog.”

Renjun takes a moment to respond, cheeks turning pink. “He said the cat was me. And the dog was you.”

“It’s cute.”

Is this flirting? Because if it is, Jeno is doing a damn good job at it. He could also see Renjun reciprocating his subtle advances. And  _ yes _ , he's not the type of guy to date, but maybe—just a big fucking maybe—he will ask Renjun out on a date. Not now, but very soon. 

“So yeah. I want Jewon to participate in the Christmas art exhibit this year. Only children’s artworks are going to be displayed, and whoever gets the most stamps wins great prizes. Jewon has a big potential to win.”

“Sure, sure. Anything that would make Jewon happy.” He's glad that Jewon is about to get recognized for his talent. Jeno doesn't have any aside from being a damn good businessman, so to know that Jewon is out there about to do great things is already a huge accomplishment for Jeno.

“Jeno?” a familiar voice asks, belonging to none other than his cousin, Mark. “What are you doing here? You two know each other?”

“Not really,” Jeno replies earnestly. “He’s Jewon’s art teacher.”

“Ah, I see. Glad to see you attend the PTA meeting for the first time. Took you a while.” Mark is also a teacher at this school, although he teaches high school students Calculus. He's the only teacher in the Lee family which is filled with businessmen, doctors, and engineers.

“I’ll go back to the classroom now. It's almost time for my class. Thank you for your time, Mr. Lee. Mark,” Renjun says before sliding past them and outside the door, leaving Jeno and Mark behind.

“He’s single.”

Jeno coughs, bashful at Mark’s sudden remark but also happy at the fact that the coast is clear for Renjun. “Yeah?”

“He hasn't dated anyone ever since he started teaching here. A lot of our co-teachers asked him out but he said he wasn't interested because, apparently, he has a big fat crush on  _ you _ .”

“What?”

“I can see the way he was looking at you while you two talked. He gave you  _ the  _ look. The look where your eyes sparkle just to show the other person you like them.” Mark points at Jeno. “And you Mr. Lee Jeno also gave him  _ the  _ look.”

“Okay, I get it. Your point is?”

“Ask him out! Look, your last relationship was back in college and it ended horribly and I know you're scared of commitment because of that. But you're almost thirty! Don't you think it's time to settle down with someone?”

Jeno wants to punch Mark for slapping it to his face that he's about to reach thirty in three years. Not that he's complaining about being old, but time flies so fast that it feels like if he just blinks, the next thing he knows is he's forty.

Settling with someone sounds great. Honestly, it's been lonely. But work-life is so demanding that love can't even make way. And here, he thought he had everything that will make him successful and happy. 

Successful? Sure.

Happy? Not really.

“I’ll ask him out someday.”

“Do it as soon as possible, Jeno.”

Next Sunday serves as his day off, so he spends it with his son at the arcades.

Jewon, as it turns out, is a big fan of video games, especially fighting games. Jeno hasn't been playing much  _ Tekken  _ but as soon as he touches the joystick, his opponents have no chance of winning a round. It's like playing  _ Tekken  _ has been forever etched in his muscles that he would instantly remember them once he plays no matter how long it has been. Jewon is cheering for him, and the crowd that gathers behind them follows suit.

“Wait, he's the CEO, right?”

“I saw him on TV!”

“Life is so unfair. How can someone be this good at everything?”

Jeno can't help but feel proud of himself. He doesn't need to brag about his abilities because people notice them.

When he turns around, though, Jewon is nowhere to be found.

“Jewon?” he calls out but gets no response. He leaves his seat and the crowd gives way for him. He asks some of them if they saw his son, but none of them knows where the child went.

His heart begins to race as he roams around the arcade but doesn't see Jewon. He asks the staff if they saw him; they didn't. CCTV footage is provided to him and it is revealed that Jewon left the area just a minute before the end of Jeno's last game. 

As he rushes outside the arcade to look everywhere for Jeno, a lot of things run around his head. Jeno can't believe he lost sight of his son. He should've been a more responsible father. What if Jewon gets kidnapped? That's highly likely especially knowing that Jewon is the son of Jeno, the CEO of a well-known company. What if Jewon gets hit by a car outside the mall because he doesn't know how to cross the street yet? 

So many questions, and yet he still hasn't seen his son.

He's about to cry and he doesn't care if people see him cry and take photos of him and send it to media outlets for the entire world to see. Fuck them. What matters most right now is for him to see Jewon, unharmed and unscathed. He just wants his son back.

Maybe this is karma. He was an asshole and it wasn't until recently that he realized how good it felt to be a father. For years, he thought Jewon was a big nuisance to his career. He wasn't. He wasn't. Jewon serves as a reminder to Jeno that there's more to discover outside of his office. That life is more colourful than he could've imagined. 

And now, Jewon is taken away from him.

“Daddy?” 

Jeno’s worries clear away as soon as he hears Jewon’s face. He spins his entire body and wraps Jewon into a crushing hug.

“Where have you been!? I was dead worried about you! Do not,  _ ever _ , leave like that without telling me, okay? Daddy doesn't want to lose you…”

“I’m sorry, Daddy.” 

Jeno pulls away and checks for any wounds. Luckily, there isn't any indication that he suffered anything traumatising. “Where did you go? And what did you do?”

“I saw teacher Huang so I followed him! I wanted to say hi to him.”

“I told Jewon we should go back, but when we did, you weren't there anymore,” another voice speaks. Jeno looks up to see Renjun, concern written all over his face.

“Thank you,” Jeno says, and doesn't hesitate to give Renjun a hug. “Thank you very much.”

“I—I… I only did what any other person would do.”

“You're wrong. Any other person would’ve kidnapped him for ransom or something.” Jeno releases Renjun and realisation of what he's done slowly dawns on him. He wants to defend himself, but what is there to say? “How can I pay you back for your kindness?”

“No need! Knowing that Jewon is safe with you is more than enough.”

“I insist. How about I ask you out for dinner tonight?” Jeno is surprised at his own offer, but it has already left his lips and there's no turning back. He just hopes Renjun accepts his invitation. Might as well use this opportunity to know him better. “If you're not busy, that is,” he adds.

Renjun shakes his head. “No. Not busy. And… sure. Dinner sounds great.”

“Okay. Great.” Jeno's at a loss of words right now. But his heart is leaping in joy that he has Renjun all for tonight. “Send me your address and I'll fetch you. Also, we should probably exchange numbers.”

“Yeah, right, of course.” Renjun gives his phone to Jeno and Jeno does the same. “I gotta go now. I'm going to my parents’ house.”

“Want me to—”

“No need! I’ll just take the bus. Bye!”

Before Jeno can press, Renjun is already sprinting away from him, descending on the escalator. Sighing, he turns his attention to his son who was attentively listening to their entire conversation.

“Daddy… can teacher Renjun be my Dada?”

“Dada?”

Jewon nods. “It’s like Mama. But since teacher is a boy, Dada!”

_ Dada Renjun. I like the sound of it. _

That evening, Jeno parks his car outside Renjun's small house a few kilometres away from his place. Jewon, surprisingly, didn't want to tag along because he wanted his Daddy and Dada to get along well without him. Jewon is right. The only reason he and Renjun even talk to each other is because of Jewon. What if his son is out of the picture? Will they be able to talk?

He hears the sound of a door closing and glances outside his window to see Renjun walking down the porch. He looks  _ amazing _ . A white turtleneck under a black overcoat might be basic but the right person will make the overall ensemble look extraordinary, and Renjun is definitely that person.

Jeno climbs out of his car to welcome his date. “Looking good.”

Renjun grins. “I could say the same to you, Mr. Lee.”

“Stop calling me Mr. Lee, it's too formal. Just call me Jeno.”

“Jeno…” Renjun bites his bottom lip which Jeno finds endearing. “It’s kinda hard to address someone of your status by your first names, but I'll try.”

“Good. So… you ready to go?”

“Yeah. Let's.”

Jeno reserved the two of them a table at a prestigious Italian restaurant. When they arrived, Renjun is hesitant to come along, but with Jeno's charm, Renjun steps down the car as well, hand reaching for Jeno. Renjun might have not noticed that he did, but Jeno's heart is hammering hard against his chest at the sudden but welcome contact.

There's a VIP room only available for two people and Jeno made sure it was only for the two of them. He feels proud of it. Renjun looks like he's wandering around an amusement park, looking around the place like he's seeing everything for the first time.

“How do you like the place so far?” Jeno asks after he gives them their order. Renjun doesn't know what to get so he lets Jeno order for the both of them.

“It’s my first time to go to a place like this. You're seriously on another level. I could never afford the food here. Everything here is equivalent to my monthly bills and expenses already.”

“Are you uncomfortable?”

Renjun holds up his thumb and forefinger. “A little bit.”

Jeno chuckles. “Well then, tell me what you want to do on our next date?”

Renjun makes a choking sound, sending him to a coughing fit. Jeno is about to stand up from his seat but Renjun raises his hand. “I—I’m… I'm okay. But what?”

“Our… next… date?” Jeno deflates on his seat. He should've been more careful with his choice of words. After all, maybe he's thinking wrong about this whole situation. Maybe Renjun just wants to be friends. 

“Oh. Date. Um… but before I answer that, what do you want out of this, Jeno?”

“I want to be your boyfriend.”

“Why?”

“Because you're making me feel fuzzy feelings I never felt before.” Jeno inwardly cringes at his usage of the word fuzzy, but there's nothing that comes to mind to describe how he feels whenever he talks to Renjun. 

Renjun doesn't respond. For one fleeting moment, it looks as if he is going to reject Jeno’s advances. But then, he says: “Honestly, I don't really believe in love at first sight. But as soon as I laid my eyes on you…” Renjun trails off, letting Jeno supply the rest of his statement. Nevertheless, it only means one thing: Renjun is onboard with dating Jeno.

“That’s good to hear.”

They spend the rest of the evening sharing waves of laughter and stories of each other. Jeno learns that Renjun is a big fan of musicals, especially the classic ones such as Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, etc. Renjun also has a birthmark on his hand that he considers his lucky charm.

Jewon calls Jeno and asks how their dinner is going. Jeno lets Renjun answer and tells his son that things are going great.

“I hope we can eat dinner together someday! Like a happy family!” Jewon says on the other end of the line after Renjun puts it on loudspeaker.

“Jewon!” Renjun exclaims.

Jeno just chuckles. “I think that's a great idea, Jewon.”

Their next dates went by smoothly.

On their second date, Jeno gave Renjun VIP seats to watch  _ Phantom of the Opera _ , much to Renjun's joy and disbelief. He couldn't believe Jeno would do that to him and was shocked at how Jeno remembered him saying how he loved musicals. Most of the time, according to Renjun, people would overlook that detail. Jeno wasn't like them, though. 

On their third date, they finally had dinner with Jewon. Jewon kept on asking Renjun questions. Most of them were pretty harmless. But then he asked:

“Will you be my Dada?”

Renjun’s eyes went wide. “Dada? As in like a Mama?”

Jewon nodded while Jeno just wanted the earth below to swallow him whole but he kept his composure intact.

“You like Daddy, Daddy likes you, that should mean you can be my Dada!”

Renjun patted Jewon’s head, looked at Jeno, before whispering something to Jewon. He made a shushing gesture afterwards. When Jeno asked, Jewon said it was a secret between only the two of them. Whatever it was, it made Jeno happy, despite him not knowing.

Later that evening, Mark called him and informed him that the news of him dating Renjun has reached the school staff already. 

“They said it's nice to see Renjun finally dating. Also, you, since they initially thought you're like other rich guys who don't really indulge in any relationships because work doesn't allow them to.”

Work is still as demanding as ever, but Jeno makes sure he still has time for Jewon, and also Renjun.

“They're wondering who Jewon’s mother is, though.”

A mystery that's still yet to be answered. And, if Jeno were to be honest, he doesn't really need to look for Jewon’s mom. After all, she left their kid so that Jeno could raise Jewon himself. If she cared before, if she loved their son, then she—whoever _she_ actually is—would’ve visited them and checked on Jewon. It's been years already.

“Does Jewon even ask where his mom is?”

“No. He never asked.”

“That’s a shocker. Most children who are in his situation would usually ask anyone where their mother is.”

Before tucking Jewon in for bed, Jeno asked him. “Don’t you want to look for your mother?”

Jewon shook his head. “I don't need to. As long as you, nanny, and Dada Renjun are here, I'm okay. Besides, she's not even a mom. She left me all alone, right? Nanny says mom did it for my own good, but I don't believe her.”

“Are you mad?”

“I can't be mad with someone I haven't seen yet, Dad. Not that I really wanna see her. And I don't care.”

“What if she comes back to get you?”

“Promise me, you'll never give me to her, Dad. Never.” Jewon sat up and gave Jeno one of the tightest hugs Jeno had received.

Jeno rubbed circles on Jewon’s back. “I promise.”

There's a knock on the door as Jeno, Renjun, and Jewon play a second round of Jenga during their weekend together. Nanny gets it for them. Jeno looks over to see who it is, but Nanny is blocking the view.

“Mr. Lee, someone is looking for you,” Nanny says, looking a bit worried. She doesn't say anything else and Jeno watches her as retreats to the kitchen. 

Jeno tells Renjun and Jewon to give him a few seconds and talk to whoever is behind the door. He doesn't expect the face that greets him. It's one of his employees before who resigned because of personal reasons that she couldn't disclose. One of the best, actually.

“Kim Sera? What are you doing here? Please come in!”

Sera grabs his wrist. “I need to talk to you. Outside. Privately. Please?”

\--

“So you took advantage of me when were drunk during our company dinner, became pregnant, left Jewon at my house because you were already in a relationship with whom you, by the way, have a son as well?”

“Yes…”

“Oh my fucking God.” Jeno runs a hand across his face and rakes it through his hair. Everything Sera said about what happened all made sense now. Why she did what she did and why she chose not to reveal herself until now. “You’re a horrible human being. You're a horrible person.”

“I’m sorry. It was a mistake! I was driven by extreme emotions. We fought that day so I thought the only way to get back at him was—”

“To use me without even thinking of the consequences? Yeah, what a great idea, Sera,” he bites back, unable to control the anger that is simmering in his stomach. 

“Just to be clear, I'm not here to take him—”

“Good!”

“—and I'm not here to see him because I feel so guilty of what I did. I just want to take this and give it to our son.” Sera hands him a piece of folded paper. “It’s a letter.”

“Fine. Now please, leave. Be happy with your family.” Jeno walks away as soon as Sera does, but calls her again to say one last thing. “Just so you know, Jewon is not your son. He's only  _ my  _ son.”

Jeno comes back feeling a little bit cranky from the conversation he had earlier with Sera. Who knew that she would even be able to do those things? Everyone who knew her adored her, even Jeno at one point because she had an amazing work ethic. Guess there really is a distinction between one's professional attitude from his or her true personality. 

Renjun is waiting for him on the couch with Jewon, Jenga discarded to the side. “What happened?”

“His… mom.”

“Oh.”

“What did she say?” asks Jewon.

Jeno gives Jewon the letter Sera wrote. His son unfolds it but doesn't read the content and instead crumples it and tosses it to the ground. “Jewon…?”

“I don't need her explanation. I don't need to know about her. If she really wants to talk to me, she should've come here and told me everything face-to-face. But no. She's a coward.”

A fleeting moment passes by, and Jeno brings Jewon close to his chest. He gives his son two claps on the back. Jewon might be young, but he speaks maturely for his age, and Jeno is grateful for that.

“The only thing I know is that Daddy loves me, Nanny loves me, and Dada Renjun loves me!” Jewon plants a quick kiss on each of the aforementioned person's cheek. “I love you all!”

“We love you too, Jewon,” Renjun says. “Dads Renjun loves you very much!”

“I love you too, Dada, very much!”

“Me, too,” says Jeno and quickly realises that his response might be interpreted two ways. One, is that he loves Jewon very much just as Renjun said. Or, two, he loves Renjun very much just as Jewon said. Both are true, though, but he's not ready to admit the second one just yet.

“Awww, Daddy loves Dada very much!”

“No, Jewon,” interjects Renjun. “I think what Daddy Jeno is trying to say is that he loves you very much just like I do. Not him… you know, loving  _ me  _ very much. Right, Jeno?”

Jeno lets out an awkward chuckle. “Y-Yeah! That's about right.”

Jewon pouts. “You two aren't great liars.”

It's been a few months since Jeno started dating Renjun. They've grown more comfortable with each other. And because of that, they flirt with each other too much, sometimes way beyond what is publicly acceptable. One time, Jeno ate Renjun's lollipop that he had already licked, and it goes without saying that those who saw it were repulsed.

Jewon, on the other hand, is preparing for the art exhibit that Renjun mentioned to him before. He's being taught by Renjun how to mix colours, what stroke and brushes to use, and other artistic jargons that Jeno cannot comprehend. Renjun laughs every time Jeno listens to them talking in their own world and looks at them in bewilderment.

“You’re like a lost puppy,” remarks Renjun.

“I am  _ your  _ lost puppy,” Jeno quips.

“Get out of here, Daddy,” Jewon says. “Don’t you see Dada is getting distracted by you?”

“Okay, okay. I'll be leaving now.” 

Jeno doesn't fail to see Renjun covering his mouth with one hand to control himself from laughing.

The exhibit opens at a nearby small art gallery during Christmas Eve. It's an event open for everyone to enjoy. The organizer of the event, a man named Moon Taeil, says he's proud of all the bright children who have decided to share their works to the world and showing how much potential they possess despite being kids. Jeno shares the same sentiment, especially towards his son.

Below each painting on the wall is a space that lets people put a stamp on it. Each person only has one stamp available, so that means they have to choose wisely before sealing their decision. Jewon doesn't look that bothered by it, as well as Renjun, but Jeno’s feeling the total opposite.

“Hey. You okay? You've been walking in circles ever since we got here,” Renjun says, putting a hand on Jeno's shoulder. 

“I just… I don't know. I don't know why I'm even feeling nervous, it's not like it's a big deal to him if he wins or not. I mean, look at him! He's just enjoying what's happening around him.”

Renjun gives Jeno's shoulder a gentle squeeze. “If he doesn't win, I just wanna let you know that he's already a winner in his own way. Not every child is as wonderful as him. Not everyone has an awesome father like you. He's already won in life.”

After an hour, it's time to announce the winners. Moon Taeil walks up the stage and calls the top three artists and their artworks, which included Jewon.

“There’s a twist, though! I want each kid to explain their artwork and tell us a bit of a backstory. Let's start with this little girl on the right.”

The girl tells the audience that her painting of a bird and a rose is based on one of her dreams. She said it doesn't mean anything right now, but soon, she might be able to discover what that dream meant.

The second one, a boy, explains that his painting of the beach is exactly where he visited during the summer. He remembers the scene vividly that he decided to paint it for this exhibit.

Lastly, it was Jewon's turn. Jeno smiles as his son takes centre stage and holds up his painting of a cat and a dog, their paws touching each other. He feels the warmth around his hand and looks down to see Renjun's fingers are interlaced around his.

“This painting is a cat and a dog. They represent two of the most important people in my life. My Daddy Jeno and my Dada Renjun. The dog I chose is a Samoyed. A Samoyed dog is big but fluffy, and Daddy is just like that. When a Samoyed smiles, its eyes disappear, and my Daddy does the same. The cat is a Munchkin cat. Just like its name and appearance, a Munchkin cat is cute and cuddly, like my Dada Renjun.”

Renjun leans his head on Jeno's shoulder as Jewon continues on.

“I painted this because I want to show how happy I am that they're my family now. I might only have Daddy Jeno as my sole biological parent, and I might not share the same blood as Dada Renjun. But they always make me feel loved. They always make me feel safe. And that's why they're my family. I will always love them no matter what.” Jewon bows but grabs the mic again. “I hope Daddy asks Dada’s hand for marriage soon!”

Everyone bursts into laughter and applause. Jewon runs to Jeno and Renjun and hugs them tight, wearing the biggest smile Jeno has ever seen.

“Now folks, I now made my decision. The winner for this art exhibit slash competition is none other than Lee Jewon!”

Jewon jumps up in excitement and runs to the stage to receive his medal and certificate. The prize for his win is a bunch of art supplies that Jewon could use to further enhance his artistic skills—from acrylics and paintbrushes to painting how-to books among other things.

As a parent, this is truly a moment that Jeno will never forget. 

Jeno's work schedule has become more flexible and less tedious thanks to the growing interest in his relationship with Renjun. The public has now shifted its focus from how Jeno keeps his business growing and improving in only a span of a few years, to how Jeno keeps work and family life balanced and amazing.

Renjun is still teaching at the same school, but every weekend, he spends a few hours teaching Jewon other types of art such as digital artwork and handicrafts. Jewon is pretty much a Picasso or a Van Gogh at this point, at least to Jeno's eyes. He sees his son growing before his eyes, and it's both scary and mesmerizing at the same time.

After a year of dating, he and Renjun decide to take their relationship to the next level and decide to marry. After all, Jewon made it pretty clear that Renjun is his Dada and there's nothing else left to do but be blessed with the sacrament of matrimony. Their wedding ceremony is filled with cats and dogs. Guests are encouraged to bring their pets because it's the theme of their wedding, courtesy of Jewon.

A few years back, Jeno thought commitment and marriage is something overrated. Work is more important. But Renjun and Jewon have taught him time and time again that life is much more than just a career. 

If he hadn't taken in Jewon, what would his life be? For sure, it would be like a prison, dark and miserable. He wouldn't be able to discover the having a family is magical. He wouldn't meet Renjun.

He wouldn't be where he is right now: happy and contented.

“Merry Christmas, Daddy and Dada!”

Jewon is already a few inches taller than Renjun even if he's just a high school freshman. Heck, it looks like he'll even be taller than Jeno once he graduates

“Jewon, you should stop drinking milk,” Jeno chides playfully.

“I don't drink milk. It's just in my genetic structure to be taller than the rest of you.”

Renjun chuckles and points at the gift that Jewon has in his hand. “What’s that?”

“It’s my gift for both of you. It's nothing much, but I worked hard for it. I hope you two like it.”

Renjun takes the gift and unties the ribbon before tearing down the wrapper. Jeno peers over to see what it is. It's a painting of a cat and a dog, like the one he did several years ago, but this time there's a kitten between the two of them.

“Is that supposed to be you, Jewon?” Jeno asks.

Jewon nods, scratching the back of his head. “I always drew you two together, but I never put myself into any of it. I don't know. I just had to do something with the three of us in one frame.”

Renjun stands up from his seat and wraps his arms around Jewon. Jeno follows the gesture and soon, Jeno has Jewon and Renjun inside his arms.

“I love you both. I'm so lucky to have you two,” Renjun says, pressing his lips on Jewon's cheek then on Jeno's lips.

“I love you, too. You never fail to make me smile all the time,” Jeno says, ruffling Jewon's hair and putting his chin on Renjun's shoulder.

“I love you, too, Daddy and Dada. Always will.”

“Okay, before we turn into a crying mess because we're all getting sappy, who wants to taste the beef broccoli stew I cooked for tonight?” Renjun asks.

“Me!” Jeno and Jewon answer simultaneously.

_ It feels good to have a family. And I hope other people find their family as well. _

**Author's Note:**

> ☆ kudos + comments are greatly appreciated and encouraged!!! [twitter](https://twitter.com/jenrenfics) | [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/injunstarr) ☆


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